Accident causes road closure

A two-vehicle wreck on eastbound U.S. 278 between Buck Island Road and Rose Hill Plantation resulted in an hour-long road closure Thursday.

At about 11:40 a.m., police and fire personnel responded to the scene of the wreck in front of a Bank of America branch.

According to Bluffton police reports, Cesare C. Gualdoni, 72, of Cutter Circle, Bluffton, was attempting to make a right onto U.S. 278 in a white Chevrolet sport utility vehicle. He failed to yield right of way to a silver Toyota minivan traveling in the right lane, reports stated. The Toyota was clipped by Gualdoni’s vehicle, causing it to flip over onto its roof.

The driver of the van sustained severe injuries and was flown by helicopter to Memorial University Medical Center in Savannah. The van’s other occupant was also injured and taken by Beaufort County Emergency Medical Services to Hilton Head Hospital. Both of their conditions were unknown on Thursday evening, and their identities were being withheld until more information was known, police said. Gualdoni was not injured, according to the police. He was cited for alleged failure to yield right of way.

U.S. 278 was closed in both directions for about 30 minutes to allow for the rescue helicopter to land on the highway. Eastbound lanes were closed for an additional 30 minutes to remove the vehicles from the roadway.

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